The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story
by iKnowLotsOfThings
Summary: As Christmas Day begins in the Central Oregon mountains, Dipper Pines prepares to give the ultimate gift to his girlfriend, Wendy Corduroy. How will she react to the present that her boyfriend has placed under the tree for her?


The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Dipper Pines paced back and forth in the snow outside the wooden cabin that he had rented for the Christmas weekend. His breath hung heavily in the frigid pre-dawn air as his mind raced. In the palm of his mitten covered hand resided a small wooden box; his Christmas gift to the auburn haired woman he called his girlfriend. She slept in an unknowing bliss as her boyfriend continued to build up the courage to ask his lover of just over six months for her hand in marriage. The brown haired eighteen year old had already faced what he perceived to be the toughest part of the whole ordeal, which was asking Manly Dan Corduroy for permission to marry his only daughter. The young man recalled the encounter with the mountain of a man and the fear that flowed through his body that day.

"Remember… You can do this… You love her…" Dipper thought to himself as he knocked on the wooden door of a small single-wide trailer. The sounds of buzz saws and construction equipment filled the air of the lumber camp where Dan Corduroy and the Corduroy boys worked. It had been nearly a two hour drive for Dipper, but no ride was too far for him on this day. The eighteen year old was about to give up when he heard a commotion inside the small building. Once more, the balled up hand went to knock on the door. Intending to making contact with the oak door, it instead landed on the flannel covered midsection of a large and burly man. "Pines!" the man growled as Dipper looked up in sheer terror, realizing that he had accidently struck the father of his girlfriend. "Mister Corduroy!... I-I'm so sorry! I-I w-was knocking on the door and I guess you opened it…" the much smaller man stuttered as Dan looked on with at first a look of annoyance, but it soon melted into an easy grin; a smile that Dipper recognized as being similar to his daughters'. "It's okay kid… It's not like you could hurt me or anything…" the red bearded man chuckled in his trademark gruff voice. Dipper sighed with relief as Dan continued. "I-Is everything alright?! Is Wendy okay?" the lumberjack's demeanor changed as asked with great concern. "Yeah, Wendy's alright… She's at work right now…" the brown haired man said as he tried to assuage the father's concern for his only daughter. "Well… In that case, what brings you all the way out here?" Manly Dan asked as he walked back into the trailer; Dipper following suit. "Well… Mister Cordur-" the clearly nervous man began before being cut off. "We've been over this… Dan… Call me Dan… I mean, you are my daughter's boyfriend and all…" Dan said before Dipper continued. "Dan… I-I came up here today to ask you something…" the young man, who was adorned in a pair of muddy boots, slim blue jeans, a black button up shirt and a brown firehose jacket said.

"Take a seat Mason…" Dan motioned as he sat at the somewhat small dining table. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for my little girl… I haven't seen her this happy in a long time…" the outdoorsman said as Dipper took off his jacket and placed it onto the back of the chair. "Dan, I love Wendy and her happiness is what's most important to me…" the younger man said as he wringed his hands on the table in a bit of a nervous tick. "And she loves you… I can see that very clearly… The way she lights up whenever she even talks about you reminds me of my dear Kathleen…" the grizzled lumberjack said with that familiar smile as his eyes teared up just a bit. "T-Thanks…" Dipper replied as he was unsure of how to respond to a comment like that. "So… Anyways… You said that you had something to ask?" Dan commented. "Y-Yeah… I-I love Wendy with all my heart… Even though we've been together for only a short while as a couple… It's long enough for me to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Dan, the reason I traveled all the way here today is to seek your permission to ask your daughter for her hand in marriage…" the brown haired man explained as he broke out in a nervous sweat. He had faced down monsters, ghosts and even demons that almost brought about the end of the world, but this was by far the most terrified he had ever been in his entire twenty years of existence.

The large man sat in silence for a moment before a smile broke out on his face and a roar of laughter followed. "Great… He either thinks that this is some sort of a joke or that I'm one…" the young man thought as he began to hang his head. "Of course! Of course you can marry my daughter!" Dan said as he got up from his seat and walked over to the confused visitor. "R-Really?!" Dipper asked in shock. "Yeah… I-I'm sorry… It's just that you remind me of myself when I asked Kathleen's father the same thing years ago… Believe it or not… I wasn't always this strapping man you see before you. I was actually a lot like you kid" the man continued to chuckle as he walked over to a small table in the living room and removed a photo album. He brought it over to the still seated boyfriend of his daughter and opened it up. "This… This string bean of a guy… That was me… I was just like you… Well, maybe a bit younger than you actually… I was sixteen and in love with this amazing girl. I was always afraid to ask her out and decided that if I couldn't be her boyfriend, then I would be her best friend…" Dan said as he pointed at a well-worn photo in the book before pausing to wipe away a tear. "We had a lot of fun together and shared a lot of interests… Even though I got jealous and was even angry with some of her choices of guys she dated, I stood by her side through thick and thin over the years… Just like you did with Wendy, Mason" the rugged man said. "So… How did you guys know that you wanted to be more than just friends?" asked a curious Dipper. "Well… The summer before senior year, I had gone away for a few weeks to work on my Uncle's lumber camp… This very camp in fact… When I came back, I was far from the scrawny kid that Kathleen had known. She had grown up a bit as well… If ya know what I mean… So, anyways, the homecoming dance was coming up… Of course I didn't wanna ruin our friendship, so I didn't ask her to go. I ended up going to the dance by myself and she went with this jerk of a guy… He wanted to sneak off and… And… Well… You know… Fool around… Kathleen didn't want any part of it, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I just so happened to be walking by when I heard a female voice yelling 'NO!' repeatedly. I recognized the voice as Kathleen's and kicked in the door. The loser had her bent over a desk and held her hands above her head. I-I saw red… I couldn't tell you what happened after that, but I do remember Kathleen begging me to stop before I killed him. After that night, we both admitted that we cared for each other more than we had let on and we started going out…" Dan concluded.

"So… You saved her from getting ra-" Dipper tried to interject before being cut off by the emotional man. "Yeah… Anyways, I'm glad that you could save my little girl and that she has someone who will protect her… She's just like her mother, you know…" Dan commented. "So I've heard…" Dipper replied. "Kathleen was a free spirit who was wild of heart… She loved the outdoors almost more than I do… Sometimes she put too much stress on herself, but damn it if you could ever tell… She kept everything inside…" the red haired man continued as he wiped his eyes. "Just like Wendy does…" the brown haired young man said with a bit of realization. "Yeah… That's why it's important to talk to her… I really didn't with Kathleen towards the end… I worked long hours… I came home and ate dinner… Then I parked in front of the TV with the boys while Kathleen continued to keep whatever bothered her to herself… I honestly blame myself for her… Her death…" the large man said as he broke down. Dipper walked over and put a hand on the shoulder blade of upset widower. "Dan… Don't blame yourself man… You couldn't have known… It was a freak medical thing that could happen to anyone on the face of the Earth…" the soon to be son-in-law of Dan Corduroy said as he tried to console him. "Freak medical thing?" asked the outdoorsman with curiosity. "Yeah… I mean… Wendy told me about the aneurysm that Kathleen had that night… How she had tucked in the kids and went to bed early because she wasn't feeling well…" the eighteen year old explained. "Mason… That's not what happened that night…" Dan said with a sigh as he turned around and locked eyes with the much smaller man. "That's what I told Wendy and her brothers, but that's not really how it happened… You see… Kathleen had battled anxiety and depression for most of her life… It's clear as day now that I should have been more concerned for Wendy when it came to that stuff… I guess I just never thought about a little girl feeling that way… I-I thought I knew my wife inside and out… In reality, I was so out of touch with her that I didn't notice she had turned to popping pills! She was taking opioids to calm herself down! She ended up overdosing and stopped breathing in the middle of the night! If I had just gone to bed instead of falling asleep on the couch like I always did, I could've saved her! I could have fucking saved her!" Dan said as he broke eye contact and fell onto the couch in the living room. Dipper took a seat beside the grieving man and thought of what to say. He had lost the love of his life to mental health issues and nearly lost his only daughter the same way. After thinking for a moment, the young man knew what to say. "Dan… I had no idea…" he said in shock. "Promise me that you'll never take Wendy for granted when she becomes your wife… Promise me that you won't stop fighting for her just because you've won her love… " the intimidating man instructed. "I don't think you ever stopped doing that yourself, Dan… I can tell you loved her… Sometimes we just get so wrapped up in life that we overlook the obvious. I promise you those things… And I also promise that I'll keep this between us… You have my word on that…" Dipper concluded as he gave the large man a determined look.

"You're a good man Mason… You were there for Wendy in her darkest hour and for that I can never thank you enough… You two give each other the strength you need to keep living, even when terrible things happen… I know you two will be very happy together…" Dan said as he hugged the eighteen year old man; nearly squeezing the life out of him. "Thank you Mister Corduroy…" Dipper said as got up from the couch, shook Manly Dan's hand and exited the trailer. The ride home from the lumber camp was full of introspection for the young man, as he now clearly saw just how much he would have to keep an eye on Wendy. If Kathleen Corduroy could pass away from the results of depression and anxiety, then her daughter could as well. He pulled out his cell phone and called the love of his life. "What's up Dip?" the redhead asked as she sat on a tree stump in the middle of the forest. "Nothing much… Just getting back from that meeting I had with a Bigfoot expert… He really wasn't by the way…" Dipper fibbed to his soon to be fiancé. "Well… I'm sorry to hear that honey… At least it's a nice drive…" Wendy commented; knowing that he would be roughly in the area where her father worked and lived. "Yeah… That's true… I just wanted to check in and see how you were…" the young man said. "I'm doing pretty well… Just checking trail cams for any unusual activity… So, you know, same old stuff…" she said with a chuckle, which caused Dipper to smile. "Well… I just wanted to let you know where I was and I hope that you have a good rest of the day…" the brown haired teen replied. "Okay… I will. I'll see you in a few hours… Be thinking of what you want for dinner…" Wendy commented. "I love you!" Dipper finished. "I love you too!" the auburn haired park ranger said as she ended the call.

Dipper Pines glanced down at his smart watch and saw that it displayed '5:45am' on the screen. Taking all of the chilly December air that he stand, the brown haired man made his way back into the cabin; trying his best to keep quiet as to not disturb the rest of his soon to be fiancé. Lying down in the bed, Dipper thought he was home free, until his lover rolled over and let out a small yawn. "You okay babe?" the ginger woman asked. "Yeah… Just… Um… Had to go to the bathroom… Yeah…" he fibbed, hoping that his still half-asleep girlfriend wouldn't question it too much. "Alright…" the twenty-one year old said as she rolled back over and fell back asleep. Dipper let out a sigh of relief and soon fell asleep as well; his mind filled with visions of a life with the girl of his dreams. From the first time he had set eyes on the then fifteen year old cashier at the Mystery Shack, to the many adventures that they had shared, the times they fought, the times they cried; all of these moments played through the head of the slumbering man.

The bright early morning light of the sun shone through the thick glass windows of the cabin as Wendy Corduroy stirred in the queen sized bed. On Dipper's advice, the two had decided not to set an alarm and just wake up when they felt like it. Looking over at a clock that was nailed to the wooden wall of the bedroom, she made out that it was after nine in the morning. The alabaster skinned woman rolled over and looked at her boyfriend, who was wrapped up in a green comforter. Wendy leaned over and pecked the resting man on his lips. "Merry Christmas honey…" she said in a soft voice as Dipper woke up. "Merry Christmas Wen…" he replied in a gravelly voice. "I'm gonna go put on a pot of coffee… Then we can open presents…" the redhead suggested as she pulled off the covers and exited the bed. Dressed in a pair of striped sky blue and white panties and a white tank top, the young woman slowly walked away; Dipper taking in the sight of his soon to be fiancé. Yawning a bit, he too soon arose from the queen sized mattress and made his way to the main room of the cabin. Having started the coffee maker, Wendy turned around and stole a glance of her boyfriend. Wearing only a pair of green flannel pajama pants, his toned torso was exposed, much to her delight.

Dipper and Wendy both poured a mug of the warm breakfast drink and took a seat in front of the fireplace, where the gifts were gathered. Dipper opened his gifts first. Many of his presents ended up being gift cards, seeing as how he was hard to shop for. The brown haired man tended not to collect things and tried to keep from gathering clutter, so it was difficult to figure out what he would want. Even Wendy struggled to come up with a gift for her boyfriend. She finally saw him looking at a tactical backpack online and managed to purchase it for him. He opened the gift from his lover and a look of excitement came across his face. "The 11.5 Tactical Gear Series Backpack! I-I've been looking for this for a while now! Twenty-four compartments! Waterproof! Fire-resistant! Tear-proof! I-It's prefect! Thank you Wendy!" the eighteen year old excitedly proclaimed as he hugged the fiery maned woman to his left. "Glad you like it!" Wendy cheerfully replied. The freckled twenty-one year old was next to open her gifts. Among the presents was a new Barton winter jacket from her father, a few new outfits from her brothers and various gift cards from her friends. Dipper's gifts included some of her favorite movies on Red-Beam disc, a new pair of hiking boots, and a letter.

A curious look came over the face of the ginger woman as she opened the envelope and read it. "Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us. Having you in my life is the best thing to happen to me…" it simply read. Looking up, she saw her boyfriend on one knee, with a small carved wooden box in his hand. Dipper pulled the lid open, revealing an exquisite gold ring with a large diamond on it. "O-Oh my…" Wendy stammered as she started to figure out what was happening. "I knew from the moment that I met you that you were going to change my life forever. Gwendolyn Blerble Corduroy… Will you marry me?" the eighteen year old man nervously asked. "YES! YES! Of course I'll marry you!" the redhead excitedly replied; her hands spread out in front of her chest, moving back and forth with emotion as she tried with all her might not to break down. Wendy's efforts proved futile as her emerald eyes overflowed with tears of joy. Dipper rose from the knee he had taken to wrap his new fiancé up in a tight hug. "I-I love you Mason…" the ginger woman said as she struggled to breathe. "I love you too Wendy!" the young man sad as he stroked the back of his lover in a soothing manner.

Author's note: So, this was going to be a small one-shot, but the story about what really happened to Mrs. Corduroy and the encounter with Manly Dan ended up taking over this story. It was just too good to leave out. I may do a short story later where it show's everyone's reaction to receiving the news of the engagement. I hope you enjoyed the latest addition to the Shooting Star Falls AU.


End file.
